Playing For Keeps (Book 2 & 3)

3. Chapter 7.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Peter rolled his eyes. Drei shook her head. "Seryoso?" She nodded. "After all that Facebook flirting? The bringing-you-lunch gesture? The hatid-sundo churva? Wala?"   "Yes. Yes. Yes and Yes."

Drei nodded. "He didn't ask me out nor did he greet me... no nothing."  

"Bakit ayaw ko maniwala?!" Tessa begged to disagree. "Baka naman meron ayaw mo lang i-share sa amin!"  

"Mamang, promise... wala talaga!" she repeated again, now looking all of them in the eye. "Waley. None. Nganga. Hopia."  

"Ay ganoon?!" Peter reacted.  "Eh ano yung pa flowers flowers pa niya sa'yo araw araw? Ano yun?"

"I dunno," Drei lifted her shoulders.  

"Etchos lang pala yun?" A horrified look appeared on Peter's face. "Publicity lang pala yun? Showbiz lang? Patakam lang? Ay! Gagong Alex!"  

"Maybe? Hindi ko alam," she told them.  

Just yesterday, there was a bouquet of colorful tulips sitting on their bed when she got home, along with another note that said...  

I guess you can say I miss you a little... a little too much... a little too often... A little more each day... =/  

They've been living under the same roof and sleeping on the same bed for the past few months, and not to mention the show they've put up in front of his aunt Caroline but still, Alex is a great mystery. Sure there were the dates, the flirting and the 'I-Miss-You's' they've been exchanging the past few days. And undeniably, it has been all too good to be true but she still found herself getting too caught up basking in that untainted attention Alex has been giving her. It was just wonderful to feel her world spinning back in that crazy axis again.  

But it seemed that they were just mere actions that can never give her the guarantee that they were going somewhere.  Because the truth is Drei doesn't know what's going on inside Alex's mind. Then where were they heading?  

"Ay punyeta!" Peter cursed. The elevator doors opened and they all stepped out. "Sabi ko na nga ba eh! Naku!" he scowled. "Kaka bad vibes naman, mars!"  

"Once a player, always a player, Drei," Tessa sighed, giving her a pat at the back. "And I quote, William Shakespeare on this... Expectation is the root of all heartache, dear!"  

"Ano ba kayo, hayaan  niyo na," she crinkled her nose at them and gave them a faint smile.    

Now she found herself doubting what Caroline had told her weeks ago before she left. He's in love with you, Caroline told her and Drei held on to those words. Those words that gave her a little bit of hope for her and Alex... She knows that there's a piece of truth in those words. She felt it as the days passed by. It almost led her to believe... Almost.

So much for wishful thinking, because that's all she had for now.

"Don't give me that look, Matt," Alex warned when Drei got out of the car. The look of frustration ran all over Matty's face as Alex let another chance slip away.

"You just–"

"And don't you say a word! No sir!" he fired again. He needed to cut the boy off even before his smart ass mouth could say another word.  But Matty opened his mouth once more. "No don't! Zip it, little boy!"

"I wasn't giving you the look," Matty said in his defense.

"You were, Kuya..." Alex pointed out. "And I know that look of yours..." How could the boy not give him the look when he just missed out another opportunity? Alex was already annoyed with himself for being a coward that he is around Drei and with Matty rubbing it into his face again will just make him hate himself even more.